Elihu

 

Elihu


In the Wisdom books of the Old Testament the figure of Elihu in Job is often overlooked in the course of the narrative about the discourse between God and Satan.

According to Elihu, the Spirit of God is the source of understanding.

Just look at what he has to say:

"But it is the spirit in a man,

the breath of the Almighty,

that makes him understand". (32:8)

Here, the words breath and spirit are synonymous in the original language.

These words are basically what Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit:

“. . . the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

“. . . And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth,

"If He should take back his spirit to himself,

and gather to Himself His breath,

all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust". (34:14,15)

"The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty gives me life". (33:4)

When Elihu says, "The Spirit of God has made me”, he is saying that he is not a body, but a spirit that God created. “the breath of the Almighty gives me life" means that his true life is from and of God's spirit.

"If He should take back his spirit to himself,

and gather to Himself His breath,

all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust". Here, Elihu asserts that it is inner Spirit that activates the body, and if God withdrew it, the body would die.

In Chapter 33, Elihu goes on to explain that God speaks to man in two ways: first, by dreams and visions, and then, if one ignores this communication, by letting him suffer illness until he begins to pay attention. In short, Elihu sees everything from the standpoint of spirit, whereas Job sees only bodily and material effects.

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